Dance With Me
by katwithlove
Summary: Fred had asked her to the Yule Ball, he then proceeded to continue to ask her to dance through their lives and through a war. She would always give him a simple and honest answer, "Of course." [Hermione/Fred] [One-shot] [Edited & Updated 6.23.15]


**Dance With Me**

One-Shot [Fremione]

Hermione stayed upstairs in the hall for as long as she could. She got ready with Ginny, while the younger girl mercilessly teased her about her date for the Yule Ball. Ginny left her though, because Hermione needed time to breathe on her own. She knew that her friend would be waiting at the bottom of the steps with her date, Neville Longbottom. Hermione swallowed and paced back and forth, her small heels giving a light click against the stone of the castle floors.

The clicks against the stone tile reminded her of a ticking clock, a reminder that ball was starting soon, and it didn't do much to help the anxiety that she still had.

She knew she looked okay, she wore a beautiful periwinkle dress robes with curled hair that was half up, giving her more volume to her hair. The unmanageable curly hair that she had once was now in soft curly waves with no frizz. She wore light makeup as well, but that wasn't what she was worried about. No, looks was not the source for her anxiety tonight.

She still harbored a small crush on her date, it began in her second year. Hermione spent the summer before her second year at the Weasley household. It was then that she met all of the Weasley boys and Ginny, who became her best female friend quickly.

"You are the brightest witch of your age and a little dance scares you?" she berating herself. After mustering up all of the Gryffindor courage that she could, she poked her head out from behind the stone wall near the steps. She saw Harry talking to his date as well as Ginny giving her an encouraging nod. Giving Ginny a curt nod she moved away from the wall and began to descend the set of stairs that would lead her to the Great Hall for the party.

Hermione began frantically looking for her date, but didn't see him around. She did see George and Angelina Johnson near the stairs, so he would not be far behind them, they were almost inseparable.

The boys and girls began whispering around her and finally she saw Harry turn around and let out a breathy sigh, with the word _'beautiful'._ Her face began to glow pink, a hard blush heating up her cheeks, as she saw their reactions. She wanted to fold into herself and hide—she was always the bookworm and Harry Potter's best friend, so the stares she was used to. It was the admiring looks and slack jaws that scared her.

When she finally stepped onto the floor she saw Ron with his date Padma. Her heart began to beat rapidly in her chest when she saw the look he gave her, he was staring her up and down and his mouth hung open in shock, leaving Hermione with a small surge of pride rushing through her. He had tried to ask her as a last resort, not even thinking twice about her being a girl _or_ interested in him.

His own brother had gotten to her first.

 _"Well, you're a girl?" Ron asked._

 _Hermione's eyes darkened and she glared at him, "well spotted," she quipped._

 _"Well would you?" He began to lift his arms in a dancing position, but Snape was behind them and quickly smacked both his head and Harrys. Snape let out a loud scoff and quickly walked away, to torture some other unsuspecting students._

 _A piece of paper hit Ron in the head and he looked up to see his brother laughing. Fred motioned for his brother to open up the note. Hermione leaned over to see in messy scribbles 'that's not the way to do it mate.'_

 _A second ball of paper hit Hermione on the head and she looked up to see Fred smiling. She tilted her head to the side and he pointed to her and then back to himself before doing a dancing motion with a small wink._

 _Hermione flushed and looked around before pointing to herself once again. Fred nodded his head and George nodded his head as well, nudging Fred as he did._

 _She pulled her quill out and scrawled a small message on the paper he had thrown at her, and looked around the room for Snape before throwing it back. He pulled the paper open and a smile illuminated his face. George looked over his shoulder and quickly slapped his hand against his Twin's shoulder in congratulations._

 _"So will you, "It's one thing for a bloke to show up alone, but for a girl it's just sad," He whispered out and Hermione let out an irritated growl._

 _"Fred just asked me," she replied quickly. Gathering her things she quickly turned in her notes to Snape and moved back to their seats and picked up her things. "I said yes!" she hissed out and turned on her heels, hurrying out of the classroom._

She dipped her head down as he offered her his arm, "you look beautiful, Hermione," he whispered in her ear. Her blush had returned once again in full force, rivaling the Weasley red hair.

"You clean up rather nicely as well, Fred," she whispered out as he straightened out with pride and lifted his head up.

"It's all part of the Weasley charm," He teased her and led her into the great hall, everyone had begun staring as they moved through the room to stand next to Ginny and Neville. George and Angelina were close behind them, making their way through the crowd as well. They waited patiently and Fred placed his arm over her shoulders as she leaned into him, shielding her from the stares as best he could. A few of their friends had come up to greet them, but before long they too would disappear through the crowd.

McGonagall and Dumbledore were among the crowd, as they whispered to themselves in the corner. Albus gracefully pulled a hanky out of his pocket and handed it discretely to Minerva as she patted the corner of her eyes. It was like looking back in time to see James and Lily Potter to her.

She was a muggle-born looking to prove herself and he was a prankster who needed to be grounded. History was slowly repeating itself and she prayed that they would not end in the same fate that had come across their formers. McGonagall grasped the hanky tightly as she observed the pair. She had to remind herself that this wasn't almost twenty years prior to the current date.

 _Ah there he is—young Snape,_ she thought to herself. Minerva also recognized the longing stare that had come from a young Slytherin. They were school rivals, and while Lily and Snape stopped being friends they didn't hate each other the way this pair had. Thought it would seem that the young Snape had nothing particularly nasty to say to her tonight. History was bound to repeat itself and McGonagall had the pleasure to watch it play out once more within Hogwarts halls.

Hermione leaned her head against Fred's shoulder as they watched the tri-wizard champion's move onto the floor and begin waltzing to the music. Harry and Pavarti Patil were shaky at best at dancing, and when Harry almost forgot to lift her into the air, Hermione laughed and covered her mouth. He struggled and only could lift her so high, he had not practiced. She could see Pavarti instructing him while out on the dance floor.

"They really are quite dreadful, you would think Potter would have studied more with the bookworm at his side," Fred chuckled.

"Right you are, but I think she was engaged in more pressing matters," George winked at Hermione, who blushed.

"Harry can study on his own—I was too busy with Ginny, besides the actual events are more important than some silly ball," Hermione reasoned.

"Speaking of such things. Gred, we need to be marketing our sweets that make you ill at the tournament," he said with a grin.

"Just what I was thinking Forge, but for now it's time to dance," Fred replied and walked out onto the floor with Hermione after the staff and a few students had joined the champions in a dance. Ginny and Neville had been the first students, Neville trying his best not to count out loud, but Ginny was patient with him.

In one of the turns around the room he had taken her hand and her waist and fell in line with the other dancers. They danced through the room, her eyes never leaving his for a moment as they floated around the room.

She felt like the muggle princess, Cinderella, given a beautiful dress and an occasion to dance was like a fairytale. The prince in the story had taken her by surprise though, and a prince that she had found herself fancying more each day.

"Get out of your head," Fred murmured to her.

"I am out of my head. Are you out of yours?" She countered.

Fred chuckled, "I'm always out of my head—haven't you heard? I'm absolutely mental," he said blissfully.

"I've heard a rumor or two," Hermione mused.

"You still said yes to me even after rumors?" Fred asked.

"Of course," Hermione insisted with a laugh, while the weird sisters band took them into the next song. The dancing quickly became less formal as the music turned from waltzing to wizard rock. It always amazed Hermione how close wizards and muggles were to each other, they were not so different after all everyone had though, including their taste for music.

Fred twirled her around as they danced to the music, and at one point they were jumping to an upbeat song. Hermione had let her hair loose as Fred got rid of his formal suit jacket and laid it at their table. They talked about everything as the night went on from Astronomy to Hermione's dislike for Divination and the pranks that he and George played on people. She thought he was brilliant and the reddening of his ears showed how much he enjoyed that compliment.

"How is it you think of all of these things?" she asked him as he twirled her away from the crowd of people and towards the drinks table.

"Don't know—it's just a gift," he smiled. He was completely taken by the young witch in front of him. Finally he brought them back to their table, near to where Harry and Ron had been sitting the whole night.

When they got into the subject of books, her eyes had lit up like the stars in the sky. He sat with her for an hour just listening to her prattle on about her favorite authors and deep love for Hogwarts: A History. He never for a moment looked bored and engaged her in a way she never thought possible. Hermione had always seen the utter look of boredom when mentioning something even remotely academically when it came to being around Harry and Ron. She knew that Fred wasn't the most academically sound student himself, but he listened to her intensely.

"I'm sorry," she blushed as she took a piece of her own hair between her fingers and caressed it, while trying to soothe her nerves.

"No, don't be. I might not be a good student, but this stuff is good for our jokes—"

"You are accomplished in potions, Mr. Weasley! Do not put yourself down," Hermione interrupted him. It made him smile a little more, because no one had ever looked at their inventions they had brewed as an accomplishment.

The night went on for the two of them and finally they had gone back to the common room and at the stairs, Hermione had her very first kiss.

Fred had cupped her cheeks gently, his thumbs stroking her skin softly as he leaned down to kiss her. Her fingers had danced their way over his shoulders and around his neck. Hermione found herself looking forward to seeing him in the morning, even if the tournaments next task was the day after.

She could get used to kissing Fred Weasley.

Hermione sat in the tent with Harry until he had taken her hands and slowly began to dance with her joyfully to a song on the radio. One that Fred and George had begun playing around this time every day. She hadn't danced like this since she had been in Fred's arms.

She had danced with Fred out in the yard when he was finally able to tear himself away from George. They had danced again within twelve hours when Bill married Fleur. It had been the last time she had been in his arms, and she prayed that it would not be the last.

Fred had gone on about how he was worried that she and the boys we're planning something. She had simply told him to shut up and just dance with her.

They danced until Death Eaters stormed the party and the ministry had fallen.

The war had been won, but many had lost their lives in it. Hermione made her way through the great hall and the body count had increased by tenfold. Hermione moved through the crowd until she had gotten to the Weasleys.

Ron was hovering over a body and her heart dropped. No one within the Weasley family suspected that they we're anything but close friends, because Mrs. Weasley had always thought Hermione was perfect with her youngest son Ron.

Hermione moved through the crowd and stepped towards Fred's body, she sank to her knees at the sight of him. A large sob came from her and George finally moved away from his Twin and moved towards her. The tears fell freely down her cheeks and onto Fred's chest as she cupped his dirty face.

"Hermione," George cried.

The room began to blur away from her vision as she concentrated on Fred's unmoving body. She had refused to believe that he was gone from her. He had promised her that he would dance with her again. She shook his body and began to scream and cry out angrily at him.

"How dare you, Fred Weasley! You promised me! Damn you!" She cursed at him as she fell back against George and balled her eyes out. The Weasleys were in shock as they saw the strong girl they knew had broken down over their family member.

"Hermione," Harry moved forward to touch her shoulder and she slumped over. Her eyes were red and her body was tired from fighting. He moved down and pull her into his embrace as she cried, the tears sliding down her cheeks.

"He promised," she whispered against Harry's shoulder.

He could only rub Hermione's back and mumble, "I know," over and over again in hopes that it was a nightmare—a terrible nightmare.

"Move aside! We have a pulse!" Bill screamed as Madam Pomphrey moved through the crowd and pushed past Hermione and Harry. She leaned over Fred's body as she gave out orders and made them stand back. George stood beside Harry and Hermione in anticipation to hear what Madam Pomphrey had to say. If there was anyone who could bring him back from the brink then it was her.

Harry held her back as she struggled to move closer to Fred, but when she heard his cough and him breathing raggedly she stopped. She didn't need to move to his side, because he was alive.

"Professor Granger," she heard from the end of the hallway. She turned towards the voice and smiled when she saw her husband of two years standing in the great hall after the student's had cleared out. He had given her everything that she had wanted out of life and more, he gave her love and companionship that she hoped would hold over the years. She had done the same for him and there wasn't a day that he didn't show her that he loved her, including sending small bird notes all the way form Diagon alley and into her very crowded classrooms. His patronus was no stranger to her office either and Minerva had taken to ignoring the fact he sent an owl a few times a week to the castle with presents and a fresh stock of Weasley products.

Hermione and Fred lived above the shop in Diagon Alley, so Fred could be close to work while she flooed to work every day. Minerva was the new Head Mistress of Hogwarts and immediately snatched up Hermione for teaching transfiguration, she was young but there was no one else qualified that Minerva knew would do the job correctly. She worked with Neville Longbottom who had taken over for Professor Sprout and Harry had taken to teaching DADA instead of being an Auror. He had chased a dark wizard for most of his life, and he was alright with taking a step back and just being a teacher.

"Hello love," she smiled and dropped the school bag she carried around onto the floor, then rush into his arms once again. It had been months since he had surprised her with a visit at Hogwarts. Minerva allowed it when she could, young love keeps things fresh around the castle—at least that's what she told them.

"Dance with me?" he asked her softly, as he placed a kiss upon her nose. It didn't matter that there was no music in the air or that they were simply in the great hall filled with four long tables for the houses. It didn't matter that they were both dressed in their work clothes or that her feet we're tired and he was a bit shaky on the waltz.

The answer was simple and honest, "of course," she smiled.

The ceiling had enchanted itself to look like the night it held the ball for the castle and the two danced through the rows of tables—laughter could be heard through the castle and he would never be tired of making her laugh.


End file.
